Ican't sleep
by White-tiger-lost-angel
Summary: Shikamaru is having trouble sleeping. Who from his team will be able to get him to nod off? somewhat based on his poem from i'll never know ShikaIno


Shikamaru sat playing shogi with Asuma one rainy afternoon. They had been at it about an hour now, and Asume KNEW he was going to get beaten again.

Suddenly his eyes widened slightly, what was that? Shikamaru had left his king open! With an inner cry of triumph Asuma moved his knight into position.

"Check" Nothing "Shikamaru?" The genious didnt move "SHIKAMARU!"

"Oh? sorry sensei"

"Bah, you're in check"

WhaaaT?" he asked looking at the board in total surprise "How'd that happen?"

Asuma was so surprised he almost bit his cigarette in half.

Shikamaru tiredly thought out some strategies and pretty soon it was the other way around.

"Checkmate"

Asuma hung his head in shame "I'll never win" He did however notice the bags under Shikamaru's eyes, and the droopier than usuall way he held himself.

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"SHIKAMARU HURRY UP!" Ino screamed

There was silence.

Asuma and Ino turned both raising their eyebrows. Shikamaru was slouching after them without a word. By agreement the pair dropped to his side.

"So shikamaru, hows helping your mom going" Asuma said

There was silence followed by "Fine"

Asuma widened his eyes at Ino who frowning decided to use the ultimate line.

"Shikamaru will you go shopping with me? We'll have fun going in all the shops, you can carry my bags and buy me dinner!"

Silence. "Sure, maybe when I'm not so tired"

Ino and Asuma stopped in surprise mouths open in shock.

Just then Chouji came around the corner chomping on crisps "Hey Shikka!" he called

"Hey"

Ino and Asuma watched the exchange

"Goin' cloud watching?" Chouji asked offhandedly

"No, i'm too tired"

Chouji stopped eating his crisps and watched his friend turn the corner in silence.

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"I call this meeting to order" Asuma said blowing out a ring of smoke."Whats the deal?"

"Somethings up with Shikamaru, we need to fix that so Shikka can go back to his loveable, troublesome self!" Ino said forgetting the other two were there

Chouji and Asuma gave her a look.

"Riiight" Asuma said "What do you think is wrong with him?"

"He keeps saying hes tired" Chouji offered

"Maybe he got a girlfriend" Kakashi said reading his book

There was a long period of silence after this remark until Ino kicked Kakashi in the chin screaming "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?" before kicking him out. She picked up his book and threw it after him earning her an 'ow!' and a highscore on 'the beat up Kakashi game.'

"I think we should follow him around for a bit" Asuma said.

"Ino you're on first watch" She groaned and climbed out of the window.

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-Three days later-

"He's definatly acting odd" She whispered to Chouji and Asuma. They had come to discuss findings.

"Whast he doing?"

"He cant seem to concentrait on scrolls, shogi or even clouds! He just did what his mom asked him without even complaining"

"We'll all stay and watch" Asuma commanded putting out his cigaratte

"Hes going to bed" Chouji said 3 hours later

"Yeh he is" Ino said "But he doesnt look like hes dropping off"

It turned 12am and Shikamaru still hadn't gotten to sleep, finally he climbed out of bed and dissapeared from their views.

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"What is the matter with him?" said an exhausted Asuma

"Wrong with who?" Shikamaru said appearing beside them on a branch. Ino almost fell but grabbed onto Chouji's bag of crisps and there was no way in hell they'd be falling.

"Um..." Ino began looking to Asuma and Chouji for help.

"We wanted to know why you were acting strange recently...are you getting enough sleep" Asuma asked concerned

Shikamaru looked at the three people on the branch with him. They all looked concerned and very tired. _Bit like how you feel. _"Ano..." he said rubbing the back of his head "I cant sleep"

**All fall - ANIME STYLE!**

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"Okay" Asuma said cracking his knuckles "When i was a youngster a sure way to knock me out as soon as i hit the pillow, aside from knocking me out - was to train till i dropped!" He gave Shikamaru who was blinking in the morning light a, what can only be described as EVIL, grin

"Ano, whats that grin sensei" Asked shikka getting a bad feeling.

Asuma stood to one side revealing a line of Jounins including Kakashi, Gai and Kurenai. Gai was first in line.

"Asuma-sensei whats...?" Shikamaru began looking at the long line, he was cut off by Gai.

"AH! It is wonderful that you choose to proclaim your youth in this fashion Shkamaru!"

"Ah...what fashion?" he asked getting a dreadful feeling...

"Why by challenging every Jounin in the village my youthful partner!" He said finishing with a nice guy pose. (complete with ting)

"ASUMA-SENSEI!"

"have fun now!" said sensei shouted running

That night Shikamaru went home. He was exhausted but he still couldnt sleep. To top it off he was covered in bruises too.

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"Did it work?" His two teamates and (hiding behind said teamates) Sensei asked

"NO" Shikamaru said glaring

"Right, Chouji your turn" Shikamaru got that sinking feeling again...

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"So...why are we doing this?" Shikamaru said staring at the table in front of him. It groaned with food.

"Well" Chouji said tying a napkin around his neck "I find I sleep better with a good meal in my stomach, so you're not leaving till you've tried everything on this table"

"Kama-sama take me now" he replied head hitting the table.

He ended up in hospital having his stomache pumped before being taken home and put to bed by his best friend.

"Night Shikka!"

"Ugh"

Not only couldn't he sleep, but he had a really bad stomache ache.

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"NO" he replied to their unanswered questions that morning. Chouji looked crestfallen.

"I guess its your turn" Shikamaru said turning to Ino. She looked surprised, then frowned "Well i guess I could try"

He held out his arm "Do your worst"

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Her 'worst' happened to be a trip to the baths.

"get in there" She said pushing him into the mens section, "be out here at five"

So he soaked his muscles (something his body appreciated from Asumas attempt) and felt very relaxed. But he wasnt sleepy.

Ino was waiting for him at 5 with something that looked suspiciously like popcorn and a chickflick.

It was a chickflick, but at this point Shikamaru was beyond caring.

One and a half hours later he turned to Ino in disbelief "You actually enjoyed that?"

To his surprise she shook her head "Not really, give me a sci-fi or action flick any day"

"You're kidding me"

"Theres alot about me you dont know Shikka" She said semi-angrily "Just because I seem to only care about looks..."

"And Sasuke" he mumbled

"What?"

"AND SASUKE" he was too tired to care if she hit him, and he was way too tired for tact.

She looked outraged, after a moment of silence she spoke "Take. down. your. hair." she said venemously (similar to when westley tells humperdink to drop his sword in princess bride ;-)

The ponytail came out and his hair swung down. No sooner had it fallen, Ino grabbed the front of his shirt and brought him into a kiss. "I DONT CARE ABOUT SASUKE-BASTARD YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE I'M INTERESTED IN" She growled against his lips.

When they finally broke for air Shikamaru first words were "Where the hell did that come from!?"

"it's been in here for a while" Ino answered wiping the rest of her lipstick off and giving him a look that plainly read get-your-ass-over-here-so-i-can-kiss-you-more.

"Oh dear lord" Shikamaru said

Half an hour later... Shikamaru was lying with his head in Ino's lap and she was tiredly running her fingers through his (now) tangle free hair.

"So...when did you realise you liked this lazy ass" he said sleeply

"I dont 'like' you" she calmply replied, making sure her hand was on his forehead when he jerked awake "NANI?"

"Shhh" she whispered kissing his forehead "I love you, dimwit"

"I have...an...iq of over 200...you know..."

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When Asuma and Chouji came later that morning looking for Shikamaru they were shocked to find the genious fast asleep head in Ino's lap wearing bright pink lipstick, and Ino herself asleep hands tangled in Shikamaru's hair.

"I cant believe she got him to go to sleep" Asuma said

"I cant believe she got him to take down his hair" Chouji replied

"I cant believe she got him" Kakashi replied

All three grinned at each other and evilly smirked at the two sleeping ninjas. "PHOTO TIME!"


End file.
